09 Aug

Blog post from EatSleepBe.com

Foods for Moods: Fruits and Vegetables Make You Happier

Want to be happier? Here is your foods for moods fact. The answer may be as simple as eating fruits and vegetables.

There has always been a school of thought that what you eat can impact mood changes and wellbeing, but until now there has not been a large-scale study to prove the existence of the foods for moods connection. It turns out that an apple a day may keep the doctor away, but and apple or two along with some berries, spinach, beets, pomegranate, or perhaps an avocado may keep the psychologist away too.

The research did, in fact, find that eating more fruit and vegetables can substantially increase happiness levels. People who changed from a diet containing almost no fruit or vegetables to one that includes eight servings a day would experience an enormous increase in life satisfaction over a 24 month period. And while increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables is important, you don’t have to go from zero to eight overnight. The research showed that happiness levels increase incrementally for each extra daily portion of fruit and vegetables up to eight portions per day.

The researchers think that eventually it will be proven that it is the antioxidants from the fruits and vegetables that create the sense of optimism.

The other good news is that even if you aren’t accustomed to a diet that is overflowing with the healthy stuff, eating it will get easier as you notice improvements in your mood because people in positive moods tend to prefer more nutritious options.

We all know that when we’re in a bad mood we are way more likely to choose foods that have an immediate, indulgent reward. On the other hand, when we’re feeling good we tend to think more about the future and the impact of unhealthy choices.

Eating fruits and vegetables puts us in a better mood, and when we’re in a better mood, we’re more likely to opt for fruits and vegetables. And when we eat more fruits and vegetables, we are more likely to stay healthy. It’s a win, win, win situation!

So the next time you want to reach for a bowl of ice cream to make you feel better after a lousy day, opt for the fruit salad instead. Or at the very least, throw some berries on top and call it a foods for moods kind of day. And the next time your kid doesn’t want to eat his carrots (or any other vegetable you may have put on his dinner plate), tell him that not only will it make him healthier, but it will make him happier too!